A look back through 2013

As 2013 is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back. The easiest things to remember are the ones that are most fresh in your mind. So while I could look at 2013 and say it wasn't a success because my most recent race didn't go as planned, that's not the case. 2013 was an amazing year for me in the sports of triathlon and marathon running. It was also a year blessed with special memories made with friends and family. So while it would take too long to relive a memory from each day, I've chosen to highlight each month with a special event that took place, and end with some photos of the year.

January - I spent much of the first few weekends in January helping prepare for my nephew's construction themed 3rd birthday party. I loved this time, because it wasn't often that I got to spend extended amounts of time with him and my sister due to them living 1.5 hrs away and my training schedule being hectic. 

February - Valentine's Day in 2013 was spent as a double date with my brother and sister-in-law at Richwood Grill. The food there is amazing (it has since closed) it was local, fresh, and organic products. It was awesome to get to spend time with them without the company of children. It isn't often that it happens, but I loved sharing my Valentine's date night with them.

March - Marathon building month!!! Lots of run focused workouts. As well as building time on the trainer and getting use to my new Adamo saddle. March is also the birthday month of my nephew, Jacob. He turned 4 and my goodness is he ever an amazing, funny kid. We share the same attachment in life, our blankets :)

April - MARATHON PR 3:36!!! I will never forget running the Glass City Marathon and realizing that I was going to PR by 12 minutes! It was an amazing feeling. I went into the race as a training run, and walked away with the biggest smile on my face!

May - In May I participated in my first triathlon of the year. Black Bear Triathlon in Maryland. It was an Olympic distance race and I was ready to see how all my winter training would come into play. This race would turn out to be an amazing learning experience. The race itself was a bust. I had an asthma attack in the water (due to temperatures being so low) within the first 2-3 minutes. I was furious with my body for failing me, but was not going to walk away that easy. I wasn't the only one pulled from the water, the temperatures were so low that nearly 15-20 people had the same thing happen so the race director allowed us to bike and run for training. So that is exactly what I did. I pushed myself through a cold, rainy bike and run and was very happy with the results of those 2 legs. It definitely was a great training day! 

June - On June 9th I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary with my amazing husband. What makes him so amazing? Well one thing would be that on the morning of June 9th I was hours away in Cambridge, Maryland competing in my first Half-Ironman. He wished me luck on Friday morning and sent me on my way with my 2 very dear friends (and coach) Lori and Brian. He didn't blink an eye when I mentioned wanting to do this race, in fact when I returned home on Sunday evening at around 11pm he had dinner from Muriale's (our rehearsal dinner food) and presents waiting for me. He knows triathlon makes me happy and that makes him happy. I couldn't have picked anyone more understanding. Oh yeah, did I mention it was my FIRST half-ironman AND I went under 6 hours? 5:42:05 to be exact :)

July - Not only does July house 2 of the most special boys in my life's birthday's (Drew and my Dada) but it is also IRONMAN LAKE PLACID month!!! Tackling this hilly, challenging course made for an awesome day! I managed to PR in the Ironman-distance by 33 minutes. A years worth of training really paid off! I enjoyed spending the week with Lori and Brian, as well as my Dad and Jason who joined us for the weekend. It was relaxing and exciting all at the same time. I can't wait to do it again in 2014. Being able to travel to these races and afford to also pay the entry fees is not something that I take for granted.

August - August was a special end to my triathlon year. I qualified for the Best Of The Us race by coming in 3rd overall female in WV's qualifying race (Stonewall Jackson Triathlon) This was my first major "win" as a triathlete and it was pretty great. The following weekend my 3 nephews and I participated in the Kids Sprint Splash and Spin race on Friday evening. They LOVED it! I was able to get into the pool with them for their swim, run along side their bikes, and run along the trail with them. I will never forget Drew telling me "This is beautiful, you should bring me here more often." On Saturday morning I participated in another first for me. A sprint distance race. This was the most painful triathlon I've ever endured. I was fatigued from racing the weekend before and an all out race for 1:03:00 is painful! It was so incredible to place first overall female. I can't even put into words how I felt. . . Did I mention it was Jason's birthday, and he got up extra early to come watch me race? :)

September - FOOTBALL SEASON! This is my favorite month of the year. My weekends are spent with my very very best friend, and other half. My cousin Brittany! She and our friend Julie come for every home game and spend the weekend with me. We don't live in the same town so getting to see her for 7 weekends in a 3 month time makes me so so happy!!! September is also when I made a HUGE change in my diet. It wasn't easy, but I was loving how I was feeling.

October - October is the month of the Ironman World Championships. It is so inspiring to watch the live feed via the internet. All Ironman All day! It's often referred to as "Tri Porn" :) October is also when my last marathon training cycle was really in full swing. I was nailing workouts I had never thought possible and feeling better than I have ever felt. My diet changes and focus on racing and training was really paying off.

November - While we are all aware that my race did not go as planned, lets not forget that November is a time to remind us to be thankful for all our blessings. I have the ability and means to race, travel and share the sport I love with some amazing friends and family. I have the support of my family and friends not only for sport but also in life. I have a wonderful father and mother who love me dearly, and incredible siblings. My sister-in-law and brother adapt family dinners around my eating style and everyone is so encouraging. I have the most inspiring, funny and loving nephews. They love me like no other, we have a bond that I will forever cherish. So while my heart was broken for most of the month over the outcome of one race, it was also mended by all the blessings that I have been able to enjoy in life. 

December - What's better about December than the fact that I, yours truly, was born? Ok, kidding. Kinda ;) This month is just a spill over of all the family time and blessing that start in November. Traditions are my favorite and I look forward to them all year. I love decorating and making the house smell of Christmas. It's also a time to reflect on how amazing my life really is, and focus on my goals to make 2014 even better! 

 Eagleman 70.3

 Our Newest Addition, Diesel

 Glass City Marathon 

 Huntington Marathon

 Lake Placid - Prerace

Pre Swim with Lori and Brian 

 My Momma became a TOUGH MUDDER!!

2 Carseats and a booster seat piled in the back!

 Finally got our wedding tattoos!

 Throwback of our Wedding Day!

 Became a part of Team Wheaties

 There's nothing like living in Morgantown on Game Day!

Weekend Activites

So this weekend's activities didn't go quite as planned. I headed to the doctor on Thursday even because I  was having trouble with my breathing. (I have asthma for those of you who don't know) Come to find out, sinus infection, ear infection and referral for a pulmonary function test. BUMMER!

Like the good little athlete I am, first person I texted was my coach, Brian. This is what transpired!

This is nothing new. Brian is my voice of reason, and I'm his relentless athlete who tries to talk him out of his rational. I knew the best thing for me wasn't to get in the pool the day after being given steroids and antibiotics for an ear infection, but my mind and body were already set for a swim in the morning! None the less, I listened, and I rode my bike for 30 minutes instead! (*How I've grown - There was a time when recovery meant nothing to me, and I would have jumped in that pool without a second thought. I now know, it's not worth it in the long run.)

Saturday, instead of a run test - which obviously would not have been a good idea - I rode my bike in zones 1-2 for an hour. I cleaned my house, did some laundry, and had lots of cuddle time with my fur-babies! (*Lesson - recovery is imperative to repair the body! Sometimes I have to talk myself into doing nothing (not even folding clothes) but I never regret when I do)

My favorite date night is sushi night! Hands down. Sushi does not make me feel anything but satisfied after I eat it. Only thing is, I LOVE soy sauce with my sushi. I have been using Bragg's Liquid Aminos at home, but this weekend I decided 'who cares' and I took my soy sauce to the restaurant with me! Bragg's has 160mg of sodium compared to the 900mg in a regular bottle of soy sauce, and it tastes so good that even Jason ate it instead of the restaurant's! (*Lesson - Who cares what others think. Do what makes you happy, and if that means adapting your restaurant meal to fit your needs by taking something of your own, then DO IT!)

And last but not least, I talked last month about adding my core/hip/glute work regularly to my schedule now instead of waiting until January...well after my easy ride Saturday and my 1:20 interval ride on Sunday I got down on the floor and performed my routine. As usual, I had a training partner, except instead of lying under me during my planks, he decided he wanted to sit on top of me during my bridges and crunches! What would my life be without these fur-babies? (*Lesson - My core lost more strength than I could have imagined in just a few weeks off. Adding core daily has made a huge impact in my core sessions already. In just a few weeks I have been able to advance my exercises...Never give up just because it's hard!)

And in case you're wondering how I'm able to accomplish all my training, racing, house work, puppy cuddles, working full-time, family activities, and date nights without loosing my mind....I have the most amazing and supportive husband! (who also works on Sundays and sometimes Saturdays too like this weekend) He doesn't question my training schedule, and he loves my drive and passion for what I do. Even with the amazing family support I have, and the unconditional love from my dad who is also my travel side-kick and #1 supporter and fan, it wouldn't be possible without such a supportive and understanding counter-part! Who also, helps unload the dishwasher and takes out the trash without being asked! ;-)  (*Lesson here - have people in your life that support you and enhance your drive for whatever your passion in life is. Negative people have no (or limited if you can't avoid them) place in your life!)

Happy Monday! Hope you all have a fabulous week! 

Banana Nut Bread

So as promised...Here is the recipe to the fabulous Banana Nut (or nut free) Bread I posted last night! I tend to have trouble sometimes when making a 'clean' recipe. They never seem to turn out right, I mean they're OK, but never like "Mmmm..." but this, this cake was the most moist, perfect banana bread. Even Jason had quite a few comments about this recipe!

In a bowl:

mash 4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour 

(I use white whole wheat, it's not as grainy)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix ingredients while you pre-heat the oven to 350.

Spray 4 mini loaf pans with non-stick spray of choice

I then divided the batter and topped 2 with walnuts and left 2 without since Jason prefers his without.

Bake 28 minutes ( or until fork comes out clean)

I turned and moved mine around in my oven a few times but each oven is different.

Easy. Simple recipe that came out DELICIOUS!

Thank You!

This blog is just to say THANK YOU! 

I have received some incredible messages recently thanking me for my inspiration. Honestly, sometimes you're not quite sure what others think of what you're posting on social media. It's refreshing to hear that I am making a difference. 

I know what it's like to look up to others for inspiration and a sense of peace that time and patience really do make great things happen. Fitness and health do not happen over night, nor do they have an ending. Often times I find myself frustrated with my fitness level, but once I stop and realize that I've only been competing in triathlon (of any distance) for 2 years now it makes me smile and be proud of where I am. I love to follow other athletes and watch their journey. It makes me excited for where I still get to go in this sport. 

I look up to my coach and his wife more than they will ever understand, and I trust my sports dietitian 100% and part of that is due to being able to follow her journey and watch her practice what she preaches. Seeing my friends post about their workouts, makes me excited for my own, and just knowing someone else is suffering the same good hurt you are somehow makes it more enjoyable :) So know you are not "stalkerish" or "creepy" for sending a message my way. I look up to others the same way you may look up to me.

So again, THANK YOU. I'm open to all questions. I love getting emails and messages about all things health and fitness related, and will pass on my knowledge to the best of my ability! 


                                                         

Don't wait until January 1st

January 1st. A new year; a new start. Right? Wrong. Why is it that come January 1 everyone makes all these promises to themselves, and then immediately say, "What I mean is I'll start the Monday after January 1." That Monday turns into the next one and then it's March and you still haven't made any gains.

I say, DON'T WAIT! Start now. Start implementing one or two of your healthier desires now. That way by the time January 1 comes around it's already a part of your routine, and if you've tried really hard you may have already formed a habit! Wouldn't that be the best way to start the new year? Perfecting what you've already started rather than starting what you've only been talking about?

Healthier starts don't need to be drastic. Start simple. Try starting every morning with a glass of water before you drink your coffee, milk, or juice. Maybe you'll realize you don't need as much of the others because the water actually satisfied your thirst, and now you can enjoy your drink rather than chug it. I drink a big glass of water first thing every morning before I even start making my breakfast/pre-workout snack.

It's simple really, the more you make healthy, conscious decisions early in the day, the more likely you are to continue that behavior throughout the day. If you start your day with a simple 20-30 minute workout you may decide to forgo the fast food and stop at the salad/food bar at the local grocery store because it's fresh in you head how hard you worked to burn those calories and make you body move.

I use to be one of those athletes that when my season ended I thought that from that day until January 1 I could eat anything I wanted, and as much of it that I wanted. I mean everyone waits until January 1 to start their "diets" right? Why should I care how I look and feel from October thru December? I'm suppose to feel bloated, lethargic, and have difficulty buttoning my pants aren't I?

NOT THIS YEAR!!

I have BIG goals and dreams for 2014. Instead of waiting until January to start implementing the road to success I've started NOW. While I will still be focusing on recovery for the next few weeks that doesn't mean that I should eat whatever gets passed by my eyes, nose, and mouth in the meantime. Nor does it mean that I only perform my scheduled workouts and forget about stretching, and all the physical therapy work I put into my hip flexor during this last training cycle. I sat down today and figured out a plan to meet my goals and how I'm going to incorporate that plan into my day. I'm human, so I don't expect this to go smoothly. I will likely make mistakes, but the idea is by January 1, these new routines of stretching and PT as well as my journey toward a healthier kitchen will be HABITS and my new year will already be on the path I want it to be rather than just starting to steer it in that direction!

Do yourself a favor, DON'T WAIT! Act now. Start small, and build on it. You'll thank yourself later, and so will your body!

Diet Changes: A few small steps can snowball in success

After Ironman Lake Placid I decided to make some major changes to my daily diet. I gave myself a week to enjoy some of the foods I had been waiting until after the race to enjoy and then it was a total food overhaul.

Initially, I cut out all artifical sweetners and limited my processed foods and indulgence meals. Where I work everyone gets a cake for their birthday. I use to be that girl that ate it because I thought I deserved it due to all my training. Now I was the athlete saying "I don't eat that." rather than "I can't eat that." It was so much easier than I had dreamed it would. Apparently, my goal for a Boston Qualifying marathon time in November was driving me more than I had ever imagined it would.

The more I continued to make better choices throughout the day, the more I realized how wonderful I felt and how amazing my workouts were going. I was nailing paces and distances that use to be difficult and some that were even too fast to even be a possibility.

My new found tummy and training success had me wanting more. I have been really into blogs and following fellow runners/triathletes on Instagram and realized how amazing these athletes were and how little meat they ate. I started experimenting and the less chicken, pork, steak, etc. that I ate the lighter, and heathier I felt. There it was again, the HR and pace on my Garmin decreasing as my mileage and speed workouts were increasing. I contacted Marni Sumbal of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition. {www.trimarnicoach.com} and together we came up with a game plan to continue to fuel my success. (To date, it has been about 5-6 weeks since I last ate meat. I really don't remember the exact day)

Instead of chicken, pork, ground beef, turkey...etc. I now find my protein sources from nuts, seeds, nut butters, eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, fish (averaging 1x/week at most) I've also been more aware to how much protien is in other sources of food. It's incredible. I don't remember the last time I cooked anything using canned "cream of" soups or any package that has more than 3 ingredients! (Usually that's mixed veggies)

Instead of granola bars and cereal, I have oats or plain greek yogurt with fruit, cinnamon, and seeds. I also eat more fruits and vegetables than I use to. Which instantly plays a huge part in a cleaner diet. On days when I train in the morning I'll put together some oats with almond milk, protein powder, chia and sunflower seeds, craisins, and unsweetened coconut flakes. Then in the morning I'll add a chopped apple and either heat for 45seconds-1min or eat it cold. On days when my training is extra long I might add in a few dark chocolate chips for fun!

Here are a few examples of my recent creations.

Lettuce, rice (cooked in pineapple juice), carrots, roasted peppers and onions, avacado and pineapple.

Sides: Cottage cheese and fresh artisan bread.

Salmon with sauteed apple and onion on a bed of brown rice and a side of broccoli

Taco Night:

Lean ground beef for Jason and Boca Veggie "Meat" crumbles for me.

Toppings: Corn, black beans, lettuse, guacamole, salsa, carrots, cheese

Taco Salad

 

Left over quinoa, frozen mixed veggies and broccoli with sauteed tempeh.

**I am not a dietian or nutritionist. I solely base my decisions off of experimentation and reading/researching for myself.

Past, Present, and Future

Since I decided that my first post was going to be my race report, I thought I should make a post about what I did to get to the starting line and how I felt along my journey there, as well as where I am now, and what is coming up next!

Past: During 2013 I ran a The Glass City Marathon (3:36) in April prior to officially kicking off Triathlon season! Tri season started in May with an Olympic distance race. June had an half-ironman (5:52) and very busy and long weekends of training for Ironman Lake Placid (12:16) at the end of July. I was on such a high after IMLP that I decided to do 2 local triathlons that I had missed the previous year since my IM was in August. I raced Stonewall Jackson Tri taking 3rd overall female and surprising myself by qualifying for Best of the US. The following weekend I raced my first sprint distance triathlon and took 1st overall female.

Tri season was over but I wasn't done. I wanted to try and qualify for the Boston Marathon after surprising myself and coming so close in April. I dedicated the 3 months after IMLP to the Huntington Marathon. I haven't talked about it much to others, but I almost completely cut out meat from my diet. Other than eating fish/tuna a handful of times since August I have not had any red meat, poultry, pork, etc. I have switched to a plant-strong diet and it feels AMAZING! I feel lighter and leaner. Although, maybe by a few lbs or a smidgen of a percent. Those things don't matter, because I FEEL like I am in the best shape of my life! I incorporated more stretching and a stronger respect for recovery days into my plan. My coach and I were in constant communication over how I felt and I even {asked} for extra recovery one of the weeks leading up to the race. I no longer indulged in cake, cookies, or comfort foods based on "I train a lot so I can eat what I want". While at the same time, working with Marni Sumbal, RD I no longer have "off-limit" foods or times of feeling guilty. (I struggled with bulimia in college) I now view food as the fuel for my training and the last 3 months I was crossing off goals, and nailing {almost} all of my weekly workouts. It was an incredible journey to the Marshall Marathon...it just didn't have the ending I had hoped for.

Present: Right now is all about recovery. Allowing myself to heal mentally and physically from the last 11 months of training. Most of the focus of my off season will be toward swimming and biking. My swim efficiency and form need some work, and biking is no where close to where it needs to be. {No surprise since I didn't learn to ride a bike until I started triathlon, even though my parents attempted to teach me} I look forward to the off season. I'm ready to gain strength and power and watch myself improve.

Future: At the moment, I do not know if a marathon will happen next year. I like to think it will, but I still need to discuss it with my coach and decided if/where it fits into my race schedule. I will be racing an Olympic Distance tri in May, Raleigh 70.3 in June and IMLP in July. Other than those races, the rest is yet to be set!

I have had an amazing journey through 2013. Overall I had a spectacular season. Many ups and downs along the way, but it's my lifestyle and I enjoy every day of it. I think if I always had great races, then I would never appreciate the accomplishment. Sometimes it takes tough training/race days to make the great ones feel amazing! After all, it's the high I feel that keeps me going!

Marshall Marathon Race Report

My idea of a race report is to write it as soon after the even as I can as to remember as many details as possible. I then later reflect on that race report periodically and learn more things about the race as the days and weeks go by. It has been no secret that my goal for November 10, 2013 was to qualify for the Boston Marathon by racing in under 3:35:00. This race was not my day, and while many have asked when the next one is, I do not have an answer. My body is ready for a break. I have not discussed with my coach another marathon at this time. I do not know if one will fit into next years race calendar or when during the year I feel is my best shot at qualifying. 

So here it is, my raw report. The same one that gets sent to my coach the day after the event when emotions are still running high, and many details are still fresh in my head. 

This was definitely the most inconsistent I've ran (mile to mile) during this training block. My morning was typical routine. Nothing different. There weren't as many runners as I had thought and not many pace groups so it was pretty easy to just line up at the 3:35 spot without many runners in front of me.

As soon as the gun went off everything seemed like total chaos. At first I felt too slow, then I felt too fast. I couldn't get into a rhythm and that's how the remainder of the day would go. There were more rollers during the race than I had anticipated. Even when trying to slow down my HR stayed through the roof. My legs felt like they weren't doing any work. The pace felt comfortable. I tried to force myself to hold back a few times but nothing was helping so I just went with the pace bc my legs felt OK and holding back wasn't helping.

Through the first half I felt great. Passed the half clock and saw 1:47:50. It felt perfect. From 13 to 14 I felt great I knew all I had to do was hold the same pace and I was golden. Somewhere shortly before mile 14 we turned a corner and I felt like I was running in place. I'd try to surge through, but end up dropping back bc I could barely keep my head up. I fought from 14-18 trying to calculate if I held back a little now that I could still make it up at the end. But the longer I went into the wind the worse I felt. Eventually my right hip flexor would start to hurt and I had stopped to stretch it a few times.

There was a point where I calculated how long I had left and knew I could run 8 miles in enough time if I really pushed it...unfortunately I then realized I had 9 miles left not 8. Heart broken!! Between 18-19 I had a mental battle that left my body with something to be desired. I was mentally quitting. At mile 19 I knew I had to suck it up. Quitting wasn't an option, and at that point (physically) suffering was not something I wanted to do since I was mentally beating myself up. I didn't want to risk tweaking any of the nagging pains I had so I decided to finish strong but not all out. It was rough. My body still didn't feel great, but I was able to semi-enjoy the last 10K and kind of look around.

I know I didn't race smart. I should have held back and tried to keep get my HR under control, and I also should have pushed harder during the second half and I still may have been able to pull something out toward the end. But I broke mentally and let the physical pains get to me.

I don't really have much good to say, even though I know I should. It wasn't my day. The weather was unexpected but I feel like I still should have been able to hold it together longer.